Floods are the United States’ costliest and deadliest natural disaster. Flooding has affected all 50 states across
the country. In 2016, 32 major disaster declarations were made involving flooding.

Flood Disasters: Basic Facts

Flood damages average $7.9 billion annually, and are rising 2% per year.

About 9 million people live in Special Flood Hazard Areas (areas with a 1% chance of flooding/year).

In 2016, there were 126 flood fatalities, more than any other natural disaster.
The 30-year average is 84 fatalities per year.

In an effort to reduce losses and build more resilient communities, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) developed the Flood Apex Program – a cross-cutting program sponsored by FEMA to:

Enhance community resilience

Reduce flood fatalities

Improve mitigation investment decisions

Improve predictive flood analysis

Improve flood data and access; and

Reduce losses.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

We want to hear from you…
The Flood Apex Program, via the DHS S&T National Conversation Flood Resilience Dialogue, is facilitating a series of
roundtable discussions and IdeaScale conversations with practitioners, consumers, and specialists on the
Reduce Losses component of the Flood Apex Program. We want to hear from you about your experience with
flooding and flood insurance from perspective of the homeowner, business owner, and public infrastructure
owner/operator. Click on each page to join the conversation!"

PURPOSE: Discuss the mitigation of Puerto Rico's post-hurricane water source contamination and shortage, using water desalination capabilities.
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CORE WATER DESALINATION QUESTIONS:
1. Solar desalination occurs in many countries and remote tourist destinations around the world, so why not in use it for the Water Shortage in Puerto Rico, is it too expensive?
ANSWERS:
=> Desalination can be utilized the same way it is being
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Voting

I HAD to have Flood Ins per my mortgage company (PNC Bank) when I bought my home. Dec 23, 2013 - our area had a flood. the flood water got up to the underside of our floors and stayed that high about 2 weeks once the river receded we still had puddles under our home. the weight of our home caused our foundation to give in the flood water saturated ground when the foundation gave out roof buckled. After the flood we
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Voting

On Saturday, July 30, 2016, the small town of Ellicott City experienced a severe flash flood that killed two people and damaged many of the town's historic downtown core and destroyed hundreds of vehicles. The rapid onset of the flood caught many residents and visitors by surprise, and according to several residents, was the worst they had ever seen. The National Weather Service reported that over 6 inches of rain fell
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Voting

While I personally haven't experienced the negative consequences of a major flood, I have encountered several instances of flooded roads that forced me to turn around. The most recent encounter I had was while I was driving along the California coast in search of a restaurant, and came upon a road that was flooded with water. While the thought of driving through the water did cross my mind, I remembered that it doesn't
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Voting

I have lived in the Austin, Texas are now since 1995. In that time if have witnessed many times why this part of Central Texas is referred to as Flash Flood Alley. For at least 100 miles North and South of Austin along IH 35 the residents have had to adjust to prolonged periods of drought interrupted by torrential rainfall and flash floods. It is a way of life here.

Voting

Last night while commuting on metro, I (and everyone else on my train platform) received a wireless emergency alert about flash flooding that could occur in the area. I was preoccupied thinking about the WEA system, and how it was kind of neat to see everyone on the platform get the message, and then two minutes later see everyone on the arriving train receive it as their train came out of the tunnel and they had access
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Voting

My husband and I are shrimpers from Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, where we have lived for over 40 years. It is the last town on the east bank of the Mississippi River before it hits the Gulf of Mexico.
I remember watching the weather news about the approaching storm. I remember packing all the pictures and placing them in garbage bags securing them on top of my dresser and chest of drawers. Also, the fishermen were
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Voting

We always think of flood events on a macro level -- but effective mitigation can start AT HOME!
In the 1990s, just 2-3 years after moving into our Illinois residence, came the historic rains and floods which made for the highest levels of water on the Mississippi in modern history. What it ALSO did was flood our basement -- complete with boxes we hadn't yet unpacked from our move!
We discovered only AFTER this occurred
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Voting

After years of working with our emergency management professionals to build mobile tools for responding to flood events; the implications of our neighbors' 1am call to proclaim "we are being flooded" seemed obvious... However, the full appreciation of a flood is achieved while listening to the sounds of air escaping from under your floors and then chasing earthworms from the soaked insulation between your studs after
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Voting

A few years ago, while I was out of town, DC experienced an atypical torrential rainfall. Upon my return, I was greeted with a basement that still had about six inches of standing water in several spots; there wasn't a dry section of the entire floor. In the end, the basement had to be completely remediated given the mold and water damage - an event that cost me just shy of $7,000 since I had no flood insurance.
Needless
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Voting

You have survived a flood. You are resilient. We want to hear from you about your experience, whether in minor or major events. How have the floods you’ve witnessed and survived changed the way you think about resilience and preparedness? Have they changed the way you determine what’s important?

Share your story. By doing so, you will play an important part in helping others better prepare for the future.

HOW TO SUBMIT A POST

Just click the “Submit a Post” button at the top of the screen (on the right!). Thanks!

What feedback do you have on the issues your stakeholders have posted? Or, want to start your own thread? Go ahead! Start a discussion on any topic or challenge related to flood preparedness, planning, mitigation, response, or recovery. Get specific. Post it, share it, and keep the conversation going. Insights and ideas will inform the National Flood Decision Support Toolbox--a resource S&T and FEMA will develop to help communities build flood resilience.

HOW TO SUBMIT A POST

Just click the “Submit a Post” button at the top of the screen (on the right!). Thanks!

Every day, we are faced with decisions about our quality of living. We choose the communities we want to live in, we seek our ideal homes, we buy vehicles that suit our lifestyles, we figure out how to protect ourselves from risk, and countless other decisions in between.

In extraordinary situations, we may be faced with decisions that require quick choices based on limited information. In a flooding situation, we struggle with whether or not to evacuate, we balance staying safe with ensuring we can access and help those who are dear to us, we make hard choices about which valuables to protect and what we are willing to lose, and we might need to weigh the benefits of rebuilding our homes versus establishing new lives in new places.

While flooding is the #1 natural disaster in the U.S., only 14 percent of American homeowners have a flood insurance policy (Insurance Information Institute, 2015). According to the National Weather Service, 176 fatalities occurred in 2015 due to flooding--an increase of just over 100 percent from the 10-year average of 82 deaths per year. The majority of these deaths occurred in vehicles (64 percent), while the second most common cause of fatalities was wading in water (14 percent).

DHS S&T wants to see these statistics change. Tell us about your decisionmaking process by answering the following questions (it shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes!). With a better understanding of what you're up against and what you need, DHS S&T, its partners, and our communities can make a difference.

Additionally, feel free to submit a post on this page if you'd like to tell us even more! Just click the "Submit a Post" button at the top right of the page. Thank you!

MASS TRANSIT SECURITY

Mass Transit Security:
Protecting Our Railways & Subways

Traditional checkpoints, like those at airports, are not efficient methods for screening the millions of riders that use U.S. mass transit systems each day. Given the security risks that this presents, it is important to leverage university and industry research to develop technologies that would allow for the rapid screening of threats to people and carried items at a distance including explosives, chemical and biological agents, and toxic industrial chemicals.

How can mass transit authorities, technology developers, first responders, government officials, and the general public work together to address these challenges and accomplish the following?

1. Work with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and mass transit operators across the country to develop and evaluate screening technologies that would enhance security in a wide variety of mass transportation venues;

3. Develop non-invasive imaging systems to detect explosives or chemical threats that could be used to screen people, in a high-throughput mode while maintaining individual privacy, before they enter mass transit systems;

4. Develop new technologies that will provide enhanced trace detection capabilities for the detection of explosives, chemical and biological threats;

5. Improve canine proficiency for the detection of explosives in carried items, on people and in potential leave behinds;

6. Improve capabilities to rapidly detect an aerosolized biological agent , chemical agent, or toxic industrial chemical to prevent spread, and confirm the effectiveness of the recovery and remediation actions to assure public health and worker safety prior to reoccupation and reuse; and

7. Enhance decision support tools for urban planners and first responders to restore normal business operations following a chemical or biological attack.

DHS S&T needs your requirements and ideas to help guide the investment in these technology development areas and trust interested parties will view this activity as an opportunity to influence decision-makers.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS!

To post your ideas, just click the “Submit New Idea” button at the top of the screen (on the right!).

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RESILIENT COMMUNITIES

Resilient Communities:
Disaster-Proofing Society

In an ideal world…critical infrastructure will be designed, built, and maintained to withstand naturally occurring and man-made disasters. Decision makers will know when a disaster is coming, anticipate the effects, and use already-in-place or rapidly deployed countermeasures to shield communities from negative consequences. Resilient communities struck by disasters will not only bounce back, but bounce forward. How can we work together to accomplish the ideal state?

The Resilient Communities dialogue is one way to foster development and delivery of innovative, risk-informed solutions that enhance the nation’s resilience to all hazards through active collaboration with partners and stakeholders. It also serves as a forum to address cross-cutting resilience issues that have arisen through interaction in other dialogues within the National Conversation—issues related to the performance and safety of first responders, capabilities needed by community leadership in order to make informed decisions, protection of our critical infrastructure, and the many interdependencies therein.

Effectively building resilient communities requires thoughtful examination by a broad array of stakeholders.

1. What are some of the most crucial characteristics of a resilient community?

2. How is community resilience different from emergency management and disaster response?

3. How should community resilience be measured; what metrics should be used?

4. What does it take for a community to build its resilience collaboratively, e.g., partnerships, shared resources, etc., and how can return on investment be optimized?

5. How can we best incentivize all communities to build resilience, despite variation in size, governmental structure, and other demographic/environmental factors?

Share your ideas in response to these questions or pose your own questions for feedback. Share best practices or examples of how your own community approaches resiliency.

BIO/AGRO SECURITY INNOVATION

National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF):
How do we achieve innovation in bio/agro security?

The NBAF site is located in proximity to the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world. The DHS vision for NBAF is to establish a 21st Century laboratory facility that enables and is supported by system-level capabilities that will materially enhance public/private sector cooperation and collaboration; leverage stakeholder knowledge and capabilities; accelerate the transition of technologies and products into the marketplace; and enable innovation, skilled training, and talent development. To realize our vision for NBAF, we need your help.

Take a few minutes to provide your feedback on the questions below or pose your own questions related to NBAF and innovation in bio/agro security.

1. As a stakeholder concerned with bio/agro security, what are your ideas on how NBAF can be leveraged to help advance foreign animal disease research?

2. What are the workforce needs across government and the private sector that you can identify as essential to address current and emergent foreign animal disease threats?

3. What are your ideas on how can we leverage NBAF along with regional assets and capabilities to provide One Health solutions?

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS!

To post your ideas, just click the “Submit New Idea” button at the top of the screen (on the right!).

TRANSFORMING AIRPORT BORDERS

What are your ideas for how we can collaborate to transform America’s airport borders and meet the demands of the 21st century?

International travel is becoming more and more accessible. What does the future of international travel look like? Changing demographics and increasing numbers of travelers are combining with emerging technologies and processes to change the landscape of foreign and domestic airports. In what ways will self-service and mobile technologies, biometric identification, access to wifi, or innovative use of e-signage and way-finding impact future travelers? How will new processes, staffing solutions, and facility design changes improve security?

A TRUSTED CYBER FUTURE

A Trusted Cyber Future:
Protecting Privacy, Commerce, and Community

What are your ideas for how we can work together to establish an underlying digital infrastructure that will be self-detecting, self-protecting, and self-healing? How should we work toward a future where users will trust that information is protected, illegal use is deterred, and privacy is not compromised?

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS!

Consider your thoughts on the following questions to help frame your ideas. To post your ideas, just click the “Submit New Idea” button at the top of the screen (on the right!).

- Is a shift needed in the way the government approaches cyber research?

- What will be the most pertinent cyber concerns of the next five years?

- As the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem grows, how do we protect and secure the supporting cyber infrastructure?

- How can the government and the research community maximize the impact of cyber research?

- What areas should cybersecurity research focus on over the next five years?

- What needs to be done to accelerate the transition of cybersecurity solutions into the marketplace?

- What will be the biggest key to improving cybersecurity over the next five years?

SCREENING AT SPEED DIALOGUE

Screening at Speed:
Ensuring That Security Matches the Pace of Life

In an ideal world...screening at speed will provide for comprehensive threat protection while adapting security to the pace of life rather than life to security. Unobtrusive screening of people, baggage, or cargo will enable the seamless detection of threats while respecting privacy, with minimal impact to the pace of travel and speed of commerce.

Screening systems can detect explosives, bolster chemical and biological defense, and enhance borders and maritime security for both traditional and non-traditional checkpoints. As the movement of people and goods continues to increase in volume, the development of innovative technology solutions are critical, requiring continued collaboration between universities, industry, and a wide array of first responders, airport and mass transit personnel, and the federal government. How can we work together to accomplish the ideal state?

Screening at speed for explosives, chemical and biological agents, and illegal human activity (such as contraband smuggling) encompasses the following four main areas:

ENABLE THE DECISION MAKER DIALOGUE

Enable the Decision Maker:
Actionable Information at the Speed of Thought

Decision makers, analysts and operators can benefit when the most relevant authorized data sets are transformed into actionable information. In an ideal world... technical capabilities such as predictive analytics, risk analysis, and modeling and simulation systems can be combined to enable critical decisions to be made. Especially in the face of dynamic environments involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incidents, accurate, credible, and context-based information will empower the aware decision maker to take actions to improve critical outcomes.

As the Internet of Things and emerging platforms provide new Big Data opportunities, decision makers will face greater challenges with identifying and managing essential information needed to mitigate risk and effectively respond to emergencies. Evolving data assets and ecosystems must prioritize data and information credibility, privacy, and security with appropriate policies, procedures, and methods for evaluation.

Considering these factors, how can we work together to leverage Big Data in the following areas:

RESPONDER OF THE FUTURE DIALOGUE

Responder of the Future:
Protected, Connected, and Fully Aware

In an ideal world...the responder of the future can adapt to changing environments, react quickly to threats or hazards, and is able to do a number of functions. Armed with physical protection, integrated tools, and a network of threat detection and mitigation capabilities, responders of the future will be better able to serve their communities. How can YOU help make this a reality?